Rookie shortstop Mark Wagner, coming up from Evansville (American Association), made a sparkling debut as the Tigers gained a 3-2 victory in the opener of a twi-night doubleheader before losing the nightcap to the Twins, 8-5. Wagner, seeing his first major league pitch, singled in the third inning and counted on a double by Ron LeFlore to tie the score at 1-1. The youngster singled again in the fourth to drive in Alex Johnson. Rusty Staub provided the Tigers' deciding run with a single in the fifth, scoring LeFlore, who had three hits in the game.

Rod Carew and Lyman Bostock batted in three runs apiece and larry Hisle accounted for two with a homer to lead the Twins' attack in the second game. Ben Oglivie rapped a pair of round-trippers for the Tigers. [The Sporting News]



Detroit Tigers 3, Minnesota Twins 2 (Game 1)
Game Played on Friday, August    20, 1976 (Night game) at Tiger Stadium
Twins        1  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  0  -   2  9  1
Tigers       0  0  1    1  1  0    0  0  x  -   3  9  0


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Tigers               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Bostock cf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .312      LeFlore cf            4   1   3   1     0   0   .333
Randall 2b            4   1   2   0     0   0   .265      Stanley 1b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .275
Ford rf               4   1   3   1     0   0   .254      Staub rf              3   0   1   1     1   0   .309
Hisle lf              4   0   1   1     0   0   .269      Horton dh             4   0   2   0     0   0   .265
Kusick 1b             4   0   0   0     0   0   .262        Manuel pr,dh        0   0   0   0     0   0   .167
Brye dh               4   0   1   0     0   0   .274      Johnson lf            4   1   1   0     0   1   .276
Smalley ss            3   0   2   0     1   0   .255      Rodriguez 3b          4   0   0   0     0   0   .239
Terrell 3b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .252      Freehan c             3   0   0   0     0   0   .287
Borgmann c            2   0   0   0     0   0   .267      Wagner ss             3   1   2   1     0   1   .667
  Carew ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .320      Garcia 2b             2   0   0   0     0   1   .192
  Wynegar c           0   0   0   0     0   0   .266      Roberts p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Bane p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   2   9   2     1   0             Totals               31   3   9   3     1   3

Time of Game: 2:15
Left on Base: Twins 5, Tigers 6
DP: Twins 1, Tigers 1
Errors: Smalley
Doubles: Ford 2 (16), Smalley (14), Horton (11), LeFlore (18)
Stolen Bases: LeFlore 2 (47)
Caught Stealing: Hisle (12), LeFlore (19)
Sacrifice Hits: Garcia (6)
GIDP: Rodriguez (19)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Bane L(4-5)             4.1   7   3   3   1   1   0  21   4.26
Johnson                 3.2   2   0   0   0   2   0  12   2.81
Totals                  8     9   3   3   1   3   0  33

Tigers                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Roberts W(12-12)        9     9   2   2   1   0   0  34   3.78
Totals                  9     9   2   2   1   0   0  34

Umpires: HP - Lou DiMuro, 1B - Bill Kunkel, 2B - Dave Phillips, 3B - Rich Garcia


TWINS 1ST: Bostock flied out to center; Randall singled; Ford
doubled to left [Randall scored]; Hisle grounded out (shortstop
to first) [Ford to third]; Kusick made an out to second; 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 1ST: LeFlore grounded out (shortstop to first); Stanley
flied out to left; Staub grounded out (first to pitcher); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Tigers 0.

TWINS 2ND: Brye flied out to center; Smalley singled; Terrell
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Smalley to second]; Borgmann
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1,
Tigers 0.

TIGERS 2ND: Horton doubled; Johnson grounded out (shortstop to
first); Rodriguez flied out to center; Freehan grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Tigers 0.

TWINS 3RD: Bostock grounded out (first to pitcher); Randall
singled; Randall was out trying to advance to second (catcher to
second); Ford grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Twins 1, Tigers 0.

TIGERS 3RD: Wagner singled; Debut game for Mark Wagner;
Garcia out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Wagner to
second]; LeFlore doubled to right [Wagner scored]; LeFlore stole
third; Stanley grounded out (third to first); Staub walked;
Horton grounded out (shortstop to first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Twins 1, Tigers 1.

TWINS 4TH: Hisle grounded out (shortstop to first); Kusick
popped to first in foul territory; Brye made an out to first; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 1, Tigers 1.

TIGERS 4TH: Johnson singled; Rodriguez grounded out (shortstop
to first) [Johnson to third]; Freehan grounded out (pitcher to
first); Wagner singled [Johnson scored]; Garcia was called out
on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Tigers 2.

TWINS 5TH: Smalley doubled to right; Terrell grounded out
(shortstop to first) [Smalley to third]; Borgmann grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bostock grounded out (third to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 1, Tigers 2.

TIGERS 5TH: LeFlore singled; LeFlore stole second; Stanley lined
to center; Staub singled to left [LeFlore scored]; JOHNSON
REPLACED BANE (PITCHING); Horton reached on an error by Smalley
[Staub to second]; Johnson struck out; Rodriguez forced Horton
(shortstop to second); 1 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 1, Tigers 3.

TWINS 6TH: Randall flied out to right; Ford doubled to left;
Hisle singled [Ford scored]; Hisle was caught stealing second
(catcher to second); Kusick flied out to center; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Twins 2, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 6TH: Freehan grounded out (shortstop to first); Wagner
was called out on strikes; Garcia made an out to first; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2, Tigers 3.

TWINS 7TH: Brye made an out to second; Smalley walked; Terrell
lined into a double play (third to first) [Smalley out at
first]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 7TH: LeFlore singled; LeFlore was caught stealing second
(catcher to shortstop); Stanley popped to first in foul
territory; Staub flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins
2, Tigers 3.

TWINS 8TH: CAREW BATTED FOR BORGMANN; Carew grounded out (second
to first); Bostock flied out to left; Randall popped to catcher
in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2, Tigers 3.

TIGERS 8TH: WYNEGAR REPLACED CAREW (PLAYING C ); Horton singled;
MANUEL RAN FOR HORTON; Johnson forced Manuel (shortstop to
second); Rodriguez grounded into a double play (third to second
to first) [Johnson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins
2, Tigers 3.

TWINS 9TH: MANUEL STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Ford singled;
Hisle forced Ford (pitcher to second); Kusick lined to center;
Brye singled [Hisle to second]; Smalley made an out to second; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 2, Tigers 3.